Soldiers of Lore
by Wild Nature
Summary: Three destroyed stars three senshi in America. What if the first battle against Queen Metallia ended in the enemy's win and senshi lost? Bound by a fate of death, time must be bought for the Sol Senshi to rise. Prequel setting to Sailor Moon.
1. Chapter 1

In my final moments, my lives passed in my mind's eyes. Of things that had been, always would be, and yet, my breath draws out and I know somehow we failed, some great thing that destiny decided we were unworthy of.

And yet, I was proud. Energy billowing out of the crevices of the dark palace, a Queen's screaming wrath and her minions sending forth their energies over us. I was the last one to stand and I was the last one to fall.

And in doing so, I have seen a future brilliantly sculpted. From a meager path, maybe I will return. I struggle to take a lasting breath and despite the smoky air, I remember the clean skies of my home, a brilliant blue sky as if God himself had painted it in His own whimsy.

The pain kept me from fainting as I looked back on how all of this began, of a destiny I had foolishly thought I could handle. A path that led me to others like myself. We were senshi, Sailor Senshi of the broken worlds that now float as rocky debris. How we were still surviving without a star, it should've been a clue that we weren't not as invincible as we had hoped we would be.

It began by a talking cat. And his words of wisdom that the path destined for me would not be as easy as being a teenager. Of course, I was still full of myself, thinking like all younger generations that I was powerful, that I would do great things. And thus, my story begins at the turn of summer in 1991, when strange and horrific things began in my tiny town of Silver Falls, Ohio.

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The warm summer air picked up gently, breezing along the small lake as the willowy girl stood at the water's edge, watching the ripples cup gently at the sandy earth. Her dark brunette hair was stylized in a fluffed bob cut, two curved strands falling away to form into meager bangs. Wide apple green eyes shown with a warm light, the sunlight causing them to glitter like stars, lighting the color to yellow green. She was a slight girl, very delicate and curved gently, just on the cusp of becoming a woman. Small framed glasses perched on her nose, hiding her eyes only slightly before she took them off, just for a moment to stare at the swirling colors, of a scene blended to mold into a dreamy realm.

"Wendy? Hey, Wendy!" Her father drove up in a beaten truck, once a glorious black shade but now sun beaten gray, the paint cracking and chipping away. The man was tall and lanky, an older version of his daughter with fading brunette hair combed over to hide his ever growing bald spot and crinkled apple green eyes. His face was weathered with laugh lines and crows feet, giving him the impression of being older than he is.

Dressed in filthy, oily, torn shirt and just as dirty faded blue jeans, he gave a wave and grinned. "Come on, honey! Time to go home!"

She placed her glasses back on, her eyes wistful for just a moment before grinning back at her dad.

"It's your day off! Let's go into town and get a bite to eat!" She exclaimed eagerly.

He gave a thumbs up. "Absolutely! But let me get cleaned first!" He added laughing.

She climbed in with practiced ease, as he gunned the poor engine and wheeled out of the dirt path onto the cement road.

"So what are you going to do this summer?" He asked over the galloping wind that flew from the open windows.

"Don't know!" Wendy shouted, shaking her head. "Thinking of going to the Y to see what programs they have!"

"We have a Y?" He asked, chuckling. "This is a hick town, honey. We ain't got no thing to do but watch the cows moo!"

"Come on Dad! I want to do something different!"

"Then so be it!" He reached over and ruffled her hair with a glancing loving stare. "Whatever you want, you go right on ahead!"

She grinned and looked out the window, the smile dimming. She didn't know what she wanted to do. It was strange because she was always so sure of what she wanted and where she needed to be. But since the beginning of the season, with the air warming and the earth growing with brilliant shades of green, her heart ached in a unknown pain.

They arrived home and soon took taking care of the farm animals. She danced around the chickens, tossing their feed and watching them peck, clucking reproach as if she was insulting them by her dancing. She smirked and put the container on the shelf, where a basket lay for the morning, when she'd go out and pluck eggs from them, always still getting the agitated clucks of disproval.

She went to help her father with the horses and found him talking to a newcomer.

"It's a sick thing and I didn't know what to do," the woman said tearfully. "I think some foolish monster hit it and ran. I wasn't even sure it was alive until it moved when I was just but five feet away."

Wrapped in a dingy flannel blanket, a dark violet, long haired cat lay almost comatose. It had a filthy band aid on its brow and a tiny paw, with tufts of hair from between the toes peeking out, lay limp in view.

"Papa?"

It's eyes opened at her voice, a shimmering true blue. They were slits at first before widening in almost surprise before giving a weak meow.

"That's the spirit," her father spoke to the cat. "Keep that spirit strong."

"Thank you so much, Mr..."

"Mr. Peters," He nodded to his back. "My daughter, Wendy."

"Hello." Seeing the small charge under safe hands, she left and her father got to work instantly. Wendy stayed and helped him for the next few hours. He had to reset a front leg and a crink in the tip of the tail, though the elegantly fluffed appendage didn't look at all broken. In the simple course of examination, it was revealed to be a boy. Her father attempted to get off the band aid but it seemed glued to his forehead.

"Some punk probably thought it'd be fun to harrass this poor animal," Mr. Peters muttered darkly. He sighed. "We've done what we can. I think he just needs a quiet place and time to heal."

She put the cat in her room, hidden between her drawer and mirror stand, with a fluffy blanket in a good sized folded box. "You just rest now," she told it gently.

It gave a weak meow, the eyes opening to stare into her. She tilted her head, feeling as if he wanted something from her. The eyes had a sad gleam and she reached out carefully, feeling the silky hair between her fingers. Her fingers brushed the band aid and carefully pulled it.

After seeing her father trying to get it off, she was stunned when it just slipped off. And what's more, the feline had been hiding a symbol, a golden crescent moon nearly hidden in the long hairs. She had gasped and stared for a long time.

And from there, she would realize that her destiny was spiraling from her.

And from that moment, the nightmares began. She almost didn't remember them, only flashes of night terrors, of her trying to wake up to run from whatever haunted her. Her father came many times to her room, to shake her and hold her, trying to assuage her fears and listen to her babbling words. None of which made any sense to him, the feline lay in seclusion, its eyes shining in the dark night with watery tears. He had known and understood and soon, very soon, set upon the path he had been given.

Wendy fiddled with the wrench, trying to lure the bolt off to get the belt off the car. The engine had long since been broken down and she was finally getting to the car. She was dressed in old clothes, a tattered rainbow layered shirt and blue overalls.

"Wendy? It's getting late," Mr. Porter nodded. An old man with a crooked back, his old decrepit figure hid the brilliant mind. He wouldn't admit he was getting on in years but was finally convinced to let Wendy at least volunteer. He hadn't liked having a girl work for him, being a bit traditional but seeing how well she was under a car, he changed his tune rapidly. "Time for supper."

"Already?" She pushed herself out, blinking at the old man. "Aww.."

He guffawed. "Come on, girl, get on home before your Pa gets thinking I'm keeping you hostage!"

She snorted. "Oh, he doesn't care!"

She heard a familiar honk. "Dad!" She groused, stomping out. He grinned at her without remorse.

"I was getting more cat food," he offered as an explanation. "Why can't I pick my baby up?"

She rolled her eyes. "I'm fourteen, Dad. I'm not a baby!" She crossed her arms.

"You have and always will be Daddy's baby. Now get your butt in and get to dinner. I had to turn off all cookware so I don't burn the house down," He stuck his tongue at her. "As if I weren't responsible."

She smirked at him. She had accidentally left a stovetop blazing and the kitchen was nearly wiped out. He never let her live it down, not to mention she almost never saw the day of light for at least three weeks.

He took a different path this time, a slightly longer route to home. "Uh, Dad?"

"Oh, yea. I got a call a while ago about a family who found some puppies and the mom. I told them I'd be by to pick them up."

There was nearly no homes along the sprawling plains until a large place began to loom in the airspace. It was a two story home, widely built and rather flat. It was a new home, by the still bright colored paint and the look of cleanliness.

Mr. Peters got out and gestured to his daughter. "I'm filthy!" She protested.

He rolled his eyes. "Get on out and be hospitable."

She dragged herself out as a tall, well-rounded young man lumbered out. With big clanking feet, slender spider fingers, and a general look of awkward written all over his figure, his boyish smile threw all of that away as his purple eyes received that magnet smile. "Hello, Dr. Peters right?" He pushed back a set of wild black curls, of hair that wasn't short enough to stay still but not long enough to be feminine.

"Yes," they shook hands properly.

"My sister actually found the litter. There's three and one that looks deceased. The mother hovers around them and growls at me but won't do anything about my sister when she approaches."

"Ah." During this time, the man lead to the back.

"Oh, I'm Henry Helen by the way," he added, chuckling. "I've seen you around for a while."

"We moved here around, what honey, two years or so?"

"Yes," she answered, her voice clipped. His eyes softened before turning to the girl who walked carefully toward them.

"Lilly!" He grinned and presented his sister. "Lillian Helen, future attorney at law."

"I should sue you for that," she raised a carefully groomed eyebrow.

"Yes but you know all of what I'm worth," he retorted, a big silly grin on his face.

"You mean that stash of yours under the floorboard under the shoes in your closet?" She asked innocently.

He looked momentarily taken back before shaking his head. "How you know these things is going to be the best mystery anyone can solve!"

"Anyways," Lillian stared at Wendy for a moment before turning to her father. The girl's long, black curls fell down in layers, curling every which way, giving her a rather tumbled look. Her clear purple eyes showed nothing but interest about the mother and pups. Wendy noted the well-roundness of the girl, the meat packed on carefully, giving the other girl a more adult look and a good eight figure.

"See?" They were dutifully lead to the small corner far in the back of the yard. The mother glared at her, as if berating her by bringing unwanted guests. "Shh, girl, he's here to help you out."

The dog turned her glare onto Mr. Peters though with his soft voice and gentle touch soon had her won over.

"She's tame and has a collar on. Must've run away and decided to have a bit of fun," he smiled genially.

Wendy was in the far back, careful not to get too close. But her fingers went to her pocket, checking just in case.

"What are you looking for?" Lillian asked curiously, standing nearest to her, having moved while Wendy's father did his work.

"My inhaler," Wendy said sheepishly. "So many things set me off, I like to be prepared."

"Ah.." They watched the doctor begin to check the puppies. He very gently and kindly removed a still puppy, placing it on the dirty towel offered by Henry.

"So do you have any pets yourself?" Wendy asked finally.

"No, I never could find time. Not that I wanted one, actually. Animals are all right but I always feel angry at them, for no reason at all." Lillian shrugged. "You?"

"My father's letting me keep a small cat he got from a kind person. The cat had been hit by a car but the injuries sustained weren't all that bad. But the most bizarre thing, he has a crescent moon on his forehead."

Lillian's eyes coolly studied the other girl. "I didn't take you for someone who still believed in things like the fantasy," she said smoothly. "If you don't have a pet, just say so, don't make it up."

Wendy frowned. "I'm not making it up!"

"Wendy?" Mr. Peters looked up, a frown blossoming. "What's wrong?"

"I have a pet and it has a crescent moon on it's forehead!"

"She does," Mr. Peters nodded. "Probably tattooed on by some idiots. The torture the poor thing went through." He resumed his treatment of the small family.

"Hm.. I'd like to see it," Lillian proposed.

"Only because you don't believe I or my father!" Wendy said hotly. "So the answer's no!"

And she moved away, done with the other girl. "Need help, Dad?"

"The collar has a number on it, could we use a phone to call the owners?" He asked Henry.

"Sure but let me do it. We found the dog, it's our responsibility."

It didn't take long for the owners to get to the home. It was, after all, a tiny town. A elderly man limped out on a carefully engraved cane, the thick end on the top as it petered out. Another man in his mid-thirties was talking engagingly to the girl at his side. All of them has stark crimson red hair, one nearly thinned out, another thinning out, and the last with her hair pulled into a left fashioned pigtail, ending with a twist. All of their eyes were lilac, a startling shade that gave them almost inhumane gazes.

The girl was the only one with freckles liberally spread across her cheekbones and nose, a rosy smile with pink cheeks as she gave a shout.

"Oh, Look, Pa! It's our darling Babe! Looky too, she's got herself some kits!"

The man nearly tripped. "Say what, Lass?"

"Oh, me dear, it's a bit of a fun, now didn't it have?" The elderly man had a booming laugh. "Course it'd head out to live it up. She's a beaut about it, all the same."

"Dad," the man shook his head.

"Oh but Pa, the youngsters can have themselves a pet," the red-headed girl pointed out.

He sighed tiredly. "Oh, what a mess."

"She must've been gone a long time," Mr. Peters began.

"Aye, that she was," he rubbed his face. "Mack Marcail, Jr. This is Mack Marcail Sr." He waved at the other man who nodded. "We be thinking she went outta town since no one say a word or respond to any of the posters."

"A bit of a miracle," Lillian noted.

"A bit, yea!" The girl grinned. "Always gonna come a trekking back to where the grub is, aye Pa?"

He was lifting the dog carefully. "Come on, Bonnie, let's get them pups into the car."

They were stunned by the rather large caravan, a fancy breed of a car. "You don't look rich," Wendy blurted.

The girl, Bonnie, chuckled. "Oh, I know but we don't let it all get to us and our heads. We stay family-bound."

"That's always a nice thing," Mr. Peters went to talk to the Marcail men. Henry retreated into the house as the three girls stared at each other.

"A sense of deja vu, no?" Lillian flipped as black curl over her shoulder.

"Ah.." Bonnie's eyes grew misty, looking up with a dreamy gaze. "It will be a splendid time. This is the summer for it all."

"I don't look forward to it at all," Wendy surprised herself, talking flatly about something she normally was so eager about. "I mean, doesn't it seem as if something massive is about to happen?"

There was a silence, prolonged. The looks on the three were a mixture of agreement, confusion, and fear. Something that linked them to the other without explanation or understanding.

"Oh dear, I hope the pups will be all right," Bonnie sighed. Her grandfather called her and with a goodbye tossed carelessly over a shoulder, she ran off to head home.

"Nice meeting you," Wendy told Lillian, though she couldn't be completely sure of that. Lillian looked like she could say the same thing though she nodded politely.

The two drove home in silence. Mr. Peters looked pensively at his daughter but wisely said nothing.

She made her way to her room and peeked at the bedding only to find it empty. "Kitty? Kitty!"

She turned and found him sitting on the bed, looking around in daze and confusion.

"Here, Kitty, Kitty," she called soothingly.

He turned to fix his blue eyes at her. "My name is Helius, girl." He looked mildly irritated. "Tell me, where am I?"

Her scream hit the wall and caused her father to nearly break the door. "What?! What's wrong?"

"HE TALKED!" She shrieked, jutting a finger wildly.

"Honey, love, precious.." He trailed off. "Cats cannot talk. You must be stressed a bit, why not take a nap?" He offered. He left, carefully closing the abused door.

"That was fun. Please, next time scream a little louder, I can still hear." Helius stretched. "I am here for you, Wendy Peters. And two others as well."

"For what?" Wendy asked in a thin voice.

His eyes flickered before he frowned. "For...um... to be protectors," he finished lamely, unable to truly say what he knew, for the words refused to tell him the truth. He figured he'd worry about it later.

"Come again?"

"Listen, do you know what happened to me?" Helius looked pitiful, rubbing his paw on his head in a rather human attempt of confusion and trying to fix the fuddle it was in. "I don't remember anything but bright lights."

"You were hit by a car," responded Wendy.

"I was?"

"Yes."

There was a moment of silence. "I'm going to my father now. When I come back, this will have been nothing more than a moment of insanity. How it was brought on.." She was mumbling at this point as she made for the door.

"Please!" His voice cracked. "I.. I know it's something important! Here!"

He jumped off the bed less than gracefully before closing his eye in concentration. With a perfect back flip, a quick swirl of night colored energy that turned to tuscan red as it faded out, a pen fell down onto the floor.

"What.. is that?"

"It is your transformation pen."

"My what?"

"Take it," Helius nudged it.

Wendy was fidgeting but picked it up at a moment's hesitation. "It's... not clickable."

"Of course not, it's something else entirely!" He had resettled on the bed. "Say this words, Vulcan Power, Make Up!"

"Vulcan..." The pen turned hot in her hand, fire spreading through her system wildly and rapidly. "Power!" It was raised higher in the air as her voice grew in strengthen tune. "Make Up!"

It was a world, a moments glance into a nightmare familiar to her that showed a peaceful scene, a hot summer world and a single thread of light that stretched across the Heavens.

She opened her eyes slowly. Her tiara was yellow with an oval Tuscan red orb. Her earrings were round Tuscan red studs with dangling Tuscan red diamonds. Her choker was white, her collar Tuscan red with a single white stripe. Her front and back bows were white. Her brooch was Tuscan red and round. Her gloves reached her elbow, were white with three Tuscan red bands. Her skirt was Tuscan red. Her shoes were Tuscan red heels with white, high collars that covered her ankles.

She reached into a compartment from her dresser, where she stashed any miscellaneous things. She pulled out a mirror compact, taking an involuntary gasp of shock at the strange garment on.

"I don't understand," her head came up. "What am I?"

"You are a warrior, a protector! A Sailor Senshi of a Planet Lore, the world of Vulcan! Wendy! You are Sailor Vulcan!"

His voice rang out with truth and it struck her then. A sense of satisfaction, of warmth, and gladness. And a sadness. A summer for it all, a summer that would bring her closer to who she truly was.

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Oh, how I should've listened to those thoughts, tried harder to remember my nightmares, and understood better those emotions. To think of a fate like ours, we did as we should have and yet, in the eyes of the enemy, we lost.

But we stood tall in the Hell's battle and shown our colors of faith and loyalty. We may have never been a part of something as individuals but we had a common goal. Of a beautiful world fallen and given a chance to revive. We won't let the enemy win, no matter the cost!

I lay alone now, the blackness coming closer to me. I don't know why I held on so long, what was tying me to a life fast fading. My allies were long gone and I truly wanted to rest. Just to sleep. As I listen to the morbid air, the noise muffled and drifting away, I continue to remincse, time slowing down as my mind fades away.


	2. Chapter 2

Soldiers of Lore

Believing is Truly Knowing

I had stared in shock. Something I'd never expect to hear. How could I have still stood there, not running like my legs had wanted to? What world was it that I existed for this one, selfish purpose?

And yet, I couldn't turn my back against my friends. Yes, my friends. It had taken me a long time to feel like this, to be whole when I was broken. I never knew before that I was, a shallow pool of coldness, where the light only reflected, never truly reaching. I was terrified but I couldn't run. It wasn't in me anymore.

I would face against the enemy, against the evil. If only for time, just a little more time...

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Lillian stared at the retreating back of Wendy. She wanted to say something but for the life of her, she couldn't figure it out. The words were trapped in the back of her throat, she wanted to swallow but she was afraid of choking.

"Lilly?" Henry asked. He had returned from his previous return to inside. He came out only when his sister had seemed so frozen on the spot. Her face was blank, nothing to give away what she was thinking of.

Though he knew she was thinking very hard. She always had to think everything through consecutively. "Lillian? Let's go inside and I'll cook us something to eat."

"Oh..." Lillian found it hard to move away from the spot. "I...huh..." She turned and marched in carefully, her steps delicately placed in an even pace.

Henry shrugged.

She quietly moved around the table, setting methodically and without thought. Henry watched silently before coughing gently.

"What?" She looked up, stunned out of her thinking.

"It's just us," Henry offered gently. She looked down and flushed. She'd set the table as if their parents were home at that moment.

"Force of habit," She lied and he knew it but did nothing more than raise an eyebrow.

They sat across from each other. "So, Henry. Did you think what she said was true?" She asked casually.

"Who is she?" Henry asked.

"That girl.." She wave her hand dimissively. "Wendy Whoever."

"Ah, you don't like her?" Henry asked curiously. "I know you like to judge people at their first step but you're so... cold about it. You're never really going to see a person if you see through your colored eyes," he pointed out.

"I beg to differ! And I'm insulted as well," she stated coldly. "I am more than capable to seeing a person and who they really are."

"Really?" He leaned against the tabletop, against his elbows as he lifted a fork to dance in the air carelessly. "Then what is it about her that bothers you?"

"She said her cat had a tattoo!" She exclaimed, indignantly.

"It was probably a purebred. When they're like competing or something like that, they can be tattooed to..."

She butted in before he finished. "She certainly didn't look like she could afford a purebred," she retorted.

His eyes narrowed. "I see."

"What?" She saw disproval in the tightening of his frown, his eyes narrowing ever so carefully. "What, I said?"

"You don't like her because she looks poor?" He asked in a clipped tone. "I'll have you know, I've seen her all over town. She volunteers for the old man Porter at the garage! She cleans up the Rose Lake! My God, Lillian, you'd make a great lawyer but you're an awful person."

He stood up, picking up his plate. "Why do you always assume the worst in people? That nothing good comes out of them?"

"I.."

"No, I don't want to hear it. I'm tired of trying to show you that there is good in life! Someone ought to find you out and bring the truth to your eyes!"

She watched him stomp out of the dining room. She looked around, at the porcelain china, the elegant pure wooden table and seats with silken covers. Everything, of beauty and riches, to show power.

But she never felt like this before. One look at a single person and suddenly, she felt exposed. As if something inside of her was yearning for her to reach out, to take that dangling thread.

And she was terrified of it. She felt something at the far reaches of her mind that this summer would change her.

And she was never about change in the first place.

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Lillian awoke in her spacious room, the curtains flung open as she allowed the rays of the morning sun to fill the room, chasing the rest of the shadows away for the day. She took her time to pretty herself up and dressed as casually as possible.

It was a hard decision for her. She couldn't go without a dress so she tried to find something pretty, simple, and yet elegant. Sadly, all of her clothes were either serious or well, serious. She never dressed in frills unless her parents took her to places and it'd been a long, long time since they did anything together.

She wondered idly when they'd come home. They were both high powered attorneys, who sometimes worked together but usually just traveled together. They were quite lovey-dovey with each other, embarrassing their children easily.

"So, going to see this Wendy?" Her brother asked almost instantly upon seeing her.

She blinked. "I suppose I am."

"Need a ride?"

"I'm sure I can just walk there," she answered flippantly. "How do I look?"

"Fluffy."

She had picked a elegant but simple golden flowered summer dress, with a ruffled edge that fluttered around her knees. She wore high heeled canary yellow sandals which strapped across her toes and ankles. She has pulled her hair back into a low riding half pigtail, the rest of the hair flowing wildly. She would've looked casual if it weren't that her clothes just looked expensive.

"I'm not fluffy," she retorted.

"Whatever," he stretched his legs, resting them on the bench across the other end of the table.

"How many growth spurts are you going to have?" She asked him, studying the long, lanky limbs and seemingly inhuman height. He was average, in reality, but his limbs really gave him a peculiar look.

"What? Ashamed of how I look?" He looked over his shoulder, grinning. A set of perfectly aligned teeth, it was a perfect smile not just in looks but also something that made him shine and look utterly normal.

"No, not really. Dad said he looked like you when he was younger. Look at how good looking he is now. I was just wondering if ever that would happen to you."

Henry's smile became a smirk. "Lilly Pad, are you insulting me?"

"I don't know, does it seem like it?" She kept her face passive though her eyebrow twitched at his nickname.

He turned away to go back to his food and sang softly. "Lilly Pad, Lilly Pad, Lilly.."

Whap! She hit his shoulder and he turned slightly, pulling her into his lap and they wrestling, the bench finally falling over as both shrieked.

"Much better," Lillian panted, pulling away. "Don't call me that!"

"Oh, shut up. I'll call you whatever I like," he smirked again. "Now, are you going or trying to delay?"

"I am not!" To prove it, she stomped off down the hallway and out of the door.

She looked around for a moment, trying to remember what direction they had driven off. She took off at a general direction, soon finding the warm summer air becoming hotter and hotter. It wasn't even close to ten in the morning and she was roasting.

She came to the farm, watching it peek out, a flatten little area where the plains tapered off into wheat and a large pen where numerous horses and cows lived together in harmony. The sound of pig's squeals echoed in the distance, as well as farther away, a dog howled a lonely song.

The beaten up truck was placed awkwardly near the front of the home. She climbed the porch, noting the swinging, cushioned loveseat, the table at the opposite end where old metal chairs pressed inward. A few still buzzing fly catchers hung limply in the now dead air. There was no wind at all and the warmth was pressing into her depressively.

Or was it the nervousness that clamored over her? She sighed and rapped three times on the door, wincing as the wooden door hurt her knuckles. But she didn't see a doorbell or a door ringer.

"Coming!" Came Wendy's voice. "I'll be there in just a...HEY! HELIUS! Get back here!"

There was a thud at the door and a howl of pain. "You idiot! What did you expect, to go through the door?"

The said door was flung open as Wendy peered out through the screen door. "You?" She asked, bewildered.

"Uh.. yes."

They stood in silence. "What.. what can I help you with?" Wendy stated finally.

"I.. I don't know. I wanted to come by but for the life of me, I cannot figure out.." During this, she had inched toward the screen door and finally opened it. Helius stepped out gingerly, looking up at her. The golden yellow crescent moon shimmered in the deep rays of the sunlight.

"It... really does have a crescent on its brow," she leaned down. "Helius?"

He sat back on his limbs, tilting his head parallel to her. Then his mouth opened and Wendy shrieked as he said clearly. "I didn't expect to find the second so quickly."

A moment of silence and then. "OH MY GOD!" She jumped to her feet, pushing back to nearly fall backwards on the stairs. If Wendy hadn't pulled her in time, her poor head would've had a massive headache for the rest of the day. "How did he do that?"

"I don't know!" Wendy looked upset. "But it's real! You saw it!"

"And seeing is believing.." Lillian said faintly.

"Or in your casing, seeing is knowing," Helius jumped off down to the dirt walkway and then flipped again. A swirl of black going into blue slate and a new pen dropped rather blandly to the ground. "Your transformation pen."

"My what?"

"I'm looking forward to this, really, I am. If the last person is like this, someone please just step on my head!"

"Why are you so cranky?" Wendy asked with a disapproving frown.

"For the life of me, I cannot remember why I'm here save for the three of you. I nearly had it while resting but it all flew out of my head once I became fully conscious. You... what is your name?"

"Lillian Helen," Lillian said automatically.

"Lillian, you are a soldier, a warrior. Use this phrase, Magellan Power, Make Up!"

"I don't see.."

"Of course you don't. Not yet. Just say the phrase," Helius said crossly.

Lillian tightened her grip on the pen. It was blue slate and glowed warmly in her fist. She sighed, taking a deep breath, and then spoke. "Magellan.."

Warmth blossomed from her heart, slipping into her veins like vines, shifting and blossoming. The earth around her feet warmed as sunlight beamed into her. "Power.." A vine clamored over her toes, climbing upward with rapid growth. "Make Up!" The leaves stretched, opening and blossoming as they blew away in the air, revealing her in a sailor fuku.

Her hand drifted to her forehead, feeling the chilled golden yellow metal tiara, going to feel the oval blue slate gem. Her earrings were blue slate rings, with dangling blue slate five-pointed rounded edge stars. Her choker was cool gray and her collar blue slate, with a single white stripe. Her brooch was a rounded blue slate, with fluffed cool gray bows. Her back bows were also cool gray. She wore a blue slate skirt that barely ruffled in the air. Her white gloves reached her elbows, with three bands of blue slate. Her bracelets had round blue trinkets attached to the small beaded chain. Her boots were also blue slate and reached her knees in a flat edge. She bore belts just off the top of the edge, around her ankles, and one across her toes. These were cool gray with white brackets that had a single perfectly round cool gray bead in the centers, placed on each belt in the perfect front center.

"Lillian, you are Sailor Magellan, the soldier of the planet of Lore, the moon of Venus!"

"And what am I supposed to do in this?" Lillian asked weakly.

"I haven't gotten that far yet. Give me a few days and I'm sure..."

There was a wind that picked up, the hot air stifling. Helius stiffened, his tail frisking the air worriedly.

"What is with you?" Wendy asked irritably. "You've been doing that all day!"

"But the air, there's something wrong!" Helius spun on his heels and then took off down the porch stairs.

"No! Helius!" Wendy fumbled in her pocket, a Tuscan red pen gleaming.

"Stop! Wait for me!" She fled after him, Lillian following. Wendy shouted as she ran. "Vulcan Power, Make Up!"

In a flaming second, she emerged transformed. The two ran, step for step, side by side.

It was a moment, etched in time and drawn out. A connection, already formed sloppily, suddenly gave a sudden rebirth and strengthened into a taut brimming thread.

They neared an area, a nice secluded place where a party had been. People had been picnicking and swimming, merely enjoying the summer in the old fashioned way.

Most of the people lay unconscious. A rather lean, blond haired male, with cold ice blue eyes, looked over the fallen. A orb of shimmering energy, fluctuating with pale hues of silver and white, edged momentarily in pale yellow, floated in his raised hand. He turned slowly, spying the two new faces with a mingled look of shock and surprise.

"What.. what have you done?" Lillian gasped out. "You killed them?"

"Not yet," Helius said darkly. "They.. they've been drained!"

"Of what?" Wendy had covered her mouth in shock, shivering convulsively.

"Energy. By that man, that... enemy.." He hissed the last word, his hair shooting up in spikes as his anger rippled over him, gleaming over his blue eyes.

"Enemy, how true that is. We did not expect to find.. this." The man wore strange garments, an army uniform of dull gray with dull buttons. His blond hair fell carelessly over his scalp, a slow, freezing smile growing. "Youma! I summon you!"

His shadow repulsed and retracted into a tight ball before it gleamed up, a female shaped being with soulless eyes. It's hair hung limply in shades of blue, a two piece outfit of scandalizing fabric. The fingers were clawed and sharply nailed, the toes at the dainty feet tapering into pointed daggers. The skin was a dull, lifeless gray, a living doll of which existed by unknown measures.

"Get rid of these pests while I take care of these.. humans," he glowered at the masses.

"NO!" Vulcan spoke without thought. "Vulcan Metallic Forge!" The earth in front of her jumped out, molding into a burning chain that lashed out. The strange man barely managed to evade but the youma was melted, unable to move quickly enough.

"I will not be stopped!" He howled. "I am a general of Queen Beryl's army, Jadeite! You will not stand!" He aimed and energy barreled out.

"Magellan Solar Panel!" The barrier formed, a hot yellow of fire that reflected blindly from the sun's rays. The attack forthcoming disintegrated and Jadeite cursed.

"How dare you.." Wendy shook with anger. "Do this to these.. these innocent people! I am of the planet of lore, Sailor Vulcan! In the heat of battles, I will smite you in your place!"

"I am of the planet of lore, Sailor Magellan! I will blind you by the rays of light and choke you with my vines!"

He smirked. "Oh, is that all?" He asked softly, too softly. "Of stars that float as nothing?"

Wendy didn't know why she snapped. She gave a shriek of rage and aimed a finger, a feeble attack that emerged without words. He just threw his head back, laughing wildly.

"If we don't find what we're looking for here, we'll just take care of you," his whisper echoed threateningly in the air as he disappeared in a swirling portal.

"That... that monster!" Wendy cried out. She looked around at the people. "Helius.. what do we do?"

"They're only drained. They'll wake up in a little while. Let's go before they start to." He turned away.

"We can't just.."

"We have to. People mustn't know about you. Not now, not ever. Don't place yourself here and keep yourself safe."

"I still feel awful," Wendy fretted. They emerged from the hidden seclusion as her hand drifted up to her face. "Who was that awful monster?"

"He called himself Jadeite, though that doesn't ring a bell. It's a name of a gem, though."

Wendy blinked. Her skirt skitted across her thighs as she moved in a slow pace. "How'd you know that?"

Lillian flushed. "My mom likes gems. I've read a few books on them."

"Why?"

"She seemed to like them, I wanted to see what was so great. All they are is sparkly."

"Shouldn't you two return to normal?"

Both hands reached into pockets, squeezing their transformation pens as they reverted back to normalcy.

Wendy's hands were shaking.

"Wendy?" Lillian asked, worry lines drawing her face in. "Wendy?"

Her hand fumbled in her pocket, her breath coming out in pants. "I.. I can't.. breathe.."

Her hand tugged at the trapped inhaler. "I.. I just..."

"Here," Lillian pushed the other hand away, and pulled the trapped hand. It shook all the way to the moving lips as Wendy pressed, the air filling her mouth to drift into her lungs. She breathed as deeply as possible, her eyes closing as the relief fell through.

Lillian couldn't help it. She giggled. "Your glasses are barely on your nose!"

Wendy blinked and her hands lunged as said glasses, already precariously on her nose, fell in slow motion. It wasn't much of a fall, being moderately warned by Lillian.

She removed the inhaler and slowly, a smile blossomed. "Yea, that's one of the things I have to look out for."

They started back toward the house. "Want to stay for lunch?" Wendy asked, a touch hopeful.

"I'd be honored."

As they entered the house, Helius settled on the porch, eyes looking outward in the summer.

'Of stars that float as nothing..' He settled down in a gentle curve, his head resting on the front of his paws, eyes shimmering with tears. "No... It couldn't be..."

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I had never felt so much better than I had that afternoon. I never talked that much, felt that free, and never realized how much I was missing out. I was trying so hard to grow up, to be a respectable person, that I forgot I was only a teenager. We were allowed to be young only then, we had to take that chance.

And time changes. The days would pass, the summer would become hotter. And a feeling, a spark in the bosom of my heart flourished. A test of courage and strength and fearlessness loomed over our heads and we were never aware of it.

Or at least, most of us. Helius never told us his worries, the things that flittered in his mind, thoughts he couldn't grasp because he was terrified. If we had known the truth, had we had still stood against the enemy?

In the end, it mattered little. But time was something that must be won, even at a loss.


	3. Chapter 3

Soldiers of Lore

With Clear Eyes

I had wanted to cry. To scream and deny. The things that one says when faced with something they didn't and tried hard to not understand. But eyes that looked at mine with contempt, something that drew a feeling I had never felt before.

Hate.

And I almost gave in. I was so close to the threshold when I felt my heart beat in my chest. And feeling returned. Of a sadness and a fact. I could not falter. I could not let the enemy win, no matter the cost.

I had been a kind and gentle person. I believed that good existed in all people. But these beings weren't people anymore, they had changed and lost their souls to something that must be stopped. And to do so, I had to destroy them.

Even the mother who I never knew.

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Bonnie smiled as her younger siblings pushed and prodded to get close to the young pups. She giggled as they did, petting when they did as they offered her to exam just which one was the best.

But her mind was elsewhere. She remembered what she had said. 'It will be a splendid time. This is the summer for it all.' She usually wasn't philosophical. Not to mention that witty.

And yet, she felt a sense of kinship already with two strangers she'd likely not see. Though she lived in the same town her whole life. Maybe she just wasn't aware of them until now. It was amazing what a person could miss when they weren't looking in general.

"Bonnie?" Her father peered down. "Luv, you been starin' at the wall for the last five minutes. You all right?"

"Oh.. I'm sorry, Papa. I was just thinking. Didn't mean to be in the way," she patted an arm. "I'm going to my room for a while."

She moved clumsy at the moment, wincing as her legs butted against a table. She couldn't help it. She, to her mother and about everyone who wanted to say something, said that she was all legs. She certainly couldn't disagree, now could she?

She took to the second floor, drifting farther and farther back. The mansion was extensively done, to house the entire family. Which consisted around twenty to thirty people, from immediate to distant relations down the line. She had a rather large room. But it housed the one thing she loved more than anything in the whole, wide world.

The piano was immaculately kept. It had been made ages ago and yet, it still sung beautifully. Especially when she played her own compositions. She hadn't quite mastered her own style but she enjoyed it all immensely.

Her room was just as clean as the piano. Though it all had a fluffy, soft look, with laced curtains that fluttered in the wall-length windows that were currently open; the queen sized bed with the soft bedding that she could get lost in and had about a million pillows to keep her head on; the carpeted floor that really helped in a pinch during the winter.

Save that it was summer time and she tried really hard to stay cool despite the accommodations.

She lay down on her bed, breathing deeply. The air was muggy with heat and it was still early in the morning. Her eyes drifted shut slowly, her body relaxing with ease.

And she drifted into a dream state. Her mind clear, and her voice mute, the air turned chilly. There was something foul and frightening, creeping along her limbs agonizingly.

'Who's there?' A deep whisper, from the depths of the shadows. 'Who dares enter my realm?'

Bonnie shifted in her bed, trapped in her dream. Her body began to sweat from the heat outside her body but a cold blossomed in her breast. She felt icy pricks, akin to bony fingers, grasping her heart.

And she cried out.

'I know you..' The same whisper. A thick, low voice. A woman clouded in the darkness of shadows, lost in the deepest realm. 'Oh, I did know you...'

Bonnie felt fear lace up her veins. A terror, a sense of absolute evil.

She believed that all of man had good somewhere. That they could be saved, if you just reached out.

And slowly, fighting her own fears, the pain in her breast, and the ice sheltering her, she reached out with a trembling hand.

The ensuring scream from the shadow ricocheted around the walls. The shadows became shredded by a white mist, breaking the darkness into light, crumbling the walls surrounding her.

She floated, her mind clear as the cold was replaced by a warmth, deep within her heart. Each beat brought her closer to fire, a flame nestled gently and lovingly. The will of light and good, of faith and trust.

'It is too late..' A whisper of the winds.

'Too much has been damaged..' The wind rustled the grass petals. Flowers blossomed and the bright colored petals spiraled upward, cascading the air with a carefree energy.

'Time... all is needed is time..' The petals danced upward to the Heavens.

'Time...' The world began to brighten in blinding white.

'Time...' She began to fall backwards.

'Ti...' And she reached out to the light, fingers stretching tenderly.

"BONNIE!"

The girl nearly had a heart attack, rolling off her bed to the carpeted floor. Her brother, Henry, peered down at her with a look that told her that he was about to laugh himself silly.

"Yes?"

"Momma's making lunch. She wants you to help."

"A'right."

Bonnie stretched and for a moment, her eyes were clouded. Then came a shout from down the hall.

"Come on, Bonnie, hurry up! I'm hungry!"

It took only a short time to make lunch. With her siblings and cousins, plus an aunt or two helping out, a magnificent meal was made.

But she barely ate anything at all. She pushed the food around her plate, her mind lost in thoughts she wasn't quite aware of. It was as if she was watching something through colored glasses, too tinted to really see the picture but wanting very badly to do so.

She smiled as her mother asked her if she wasn't hungry. "I'm sorry, Momma. May I be excused?"

"Of course, shall I save this?"

Seeing her youngest cousin watching the plate with high interest, she pushed it to the small girl who ate with gusto.

"I'm going outside, Momma," She kissed her mother's cheek gently. "I'll be walking around the back roads."

"Be careful!"

And Bonnie was outside. The air was getting hotter, the day into soon-to-be late afternoon. The world was silent as she looked up at the clear blue sky.

And started when she saw a golden yellow petal dancing away from her, just out of reach. She did a flying jump to catch it but it wiggled away from her.

She chased it, the air beginning to whip around her. The air only strengthened, keeping that elusive petal just out of reach. She swore that she could feel her finger tips just barely touching it.

She came to a small lake, the water rippling gently from the slow wind. The petal landed in the water's edge. She bent down and picked it up.

"Helius!" A cat made a flying leap and landed in front of her, blue eyes looking up with something akin to human intelligence.

Which was proven by the open mouth. "My God, why does this happen so quickly?"

Bonnie gasped. "You TALKED!?"

His head fell down in defeat. "Yes."

"Oh my GOD!"

"Yes."

"What else can you do?" Bonnie asked eagerly.

Helius was utterly stunned.

"HELIUS!" Wendy did a nosedive, grasping the back haunches of the cat. "What do you thin... Oh, it's you." She stated, surprised.

Bonnie beamed.

"Running.. in this weather. It had better be worth it," Lillian stated flatly, glaring down at the cat.

Helius gave a nervous smile. "I'm sorry."

The two girls shrieked. "DON'T DO THAT!"

"But she's the final soldier," he responded weakly, feeling arms tighten around him painfully. "I have delicate bones," he panted.

"Like Hell you do," Wendy said fiercely. She squeezed harder.

"Stop it!" Bonnie hit an arm, startling Wendy to letting Helius down. "Here, let me see if you're all right."

Helius gave a grateful smile. "Thank you for your concern. Why aren't you screaming?"

"I.. don't know," Bonnie said shyly. "I was led here, by this." She offered the petal. "I dreamt of the petal."

Helius sat down, looking up at the kneeling girl. "What's your name?"

"Bonnie. Bonnie Marcail."

"Bonnie.." He took a deep breath, eyes opening slowly to peer deeply into hers. "You are a soldier, a sailor senshi of Lore, of the planet Lilith. You ARE Sailor Lilith, Bonnie!" He did a flip backwards, a lilac hued pen dropping down.

Without being told to pick it up, she reached out and let out a deep breath. She hadn't been aware that she had been holding it in.

"It's beautiful," she traced the handle carefully.

"Say this, Bonnie. Lilith Power, Make Up."

"I don't wear make up."

He let his head hang. Of course, there had to be SOME issue. It couldn't go ALL easy for once. "Just say it."

"All right.." She cleared her throat, holding the pen close to her. "Lilith.." Her shadow enlarged, encircling around her feet. "Power.." It began to sweep upward, straight for the Heavens. "Make Up!" Her voice ended in a final, lilted note as the shadow swarmed around her. Each touch changed something of her until the shadows reached her brow.

A symbol, of two sideways C's slightly overlapping the other, one facing right, the other facing left, blazed. The light erupted the shadows as the tiara formed. A golden yellow tiara with a lilac oval gem in its center covered her forehead. Her choker was lilac, matching her lilac collar, the single white stripe etched in. The lilac round brooch was nestled against the bronze bow, making the one behind her. Her gloves were white, reaching her elbows ending with three lilac rounded bands. Bracelets, a small beaded chain on each wrist, had a single four pointed star as a trinket. Her skirt was lilac and barely reached her knees. Her boots were bronzed and reached to her knees with a pointed edge. Gems of lilac was sewn in the front, going downward in a DNA spiral to end in a upside down heart. Her boots where thick heeled but not tall, keeping her relatively the same height she was.

She stood for a moment, in shining light. A warm feeling encompassing her, it whispered something she couldn't make out.

"Bonnie?" A voice drifted in from far away. "Come back, Bonnie."

She looked down at Helius. "And who are you?" She asked finally.

"I am Helius. Your guide."

"Like my conscience?"

"No, not quite," A giggle came from behind him, his eyes moving back to glare suspiciously at Wendy. "I kind of can't.. well.."

"He has amnesia," Lillian stated, matter-of-fact. "He was hit by a car."

"So why... do I look like this?"

"I don't know. We all look like that, see?" Wendy offered her pen. Lillian did the same. "We're a team, though."

Bonnie untransformed. "That's great!" She declared happily.

Lillian raised an eyebrow carefully. "You're.. happy about this?"

"I always wanted to do something different from my siblings!" She beamed.

"It's not child's play," Lillian rolled her eyes. "People get hurt!"

"Then we'll reach out and help them!"

"Are you always this optimistic?"

Bonnie grinned and turned to Wendy. "So how long did you know?"

"About a day more than Lillian and it's been about a week since then."

"Really. Just right after we all met? I knew I felt something between us."

"As long as it's friendship," Lillian patted Bonnie's hand lightly.

She looked at the other with confusion. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"Ignore Lillian, she likes to be mean on principle," Wendy nodded.

"For the last time, I am NOT mean! Why does everyone say that?"

"Fine, you're prissy."

"I AM NOT!"

"PRISSY!" Wendy was grinning as Lillian made faces at her.

"If I may interject.." Helius began.

Lillian was pushing Wendy toward the water, Wendy trying to do the same to Lillian as the two giggled.

"As I was saying.." he said louder.

They didn't hear a word as both fell in.

He sat back, an eyebrow twitching.

"What's wrong?" Bonnie asked gently.

"The air.. changed again."

"Again? Changed?"

"The enemy is striking."

"Oh no! Which way?" Bonnie shot up.

"I think it's close to town.." He began and jumped. "HEY! WHERE ARE YOU GOING!"

Bonnie held her pen up as she shouted while running, "Lilith Power, MAKE UP!"

Feet pounding the ground, she could feel the change in the air. It was slight, with a acidic taste on her tongue. The air, despite the heat, sent a cold shiver down her spine.

She heard two more sets of feet, voices raised momentarily before the two came in eye view. All were now transformed.

Helius ran doggedly behind them, vainly trying to keep up. It was hard but he managed it though when they stopped just short of town, he fell down, his legs eagle-spread.

It was a monster, another nearly clad being, this time made of rock. Each joint was a roughly rounded ball of stone, that caused constant drain of dust the fall around the thing. It was remotely female, with seemingly removable body parts that also included the breasts. The only cloth it wore was a flimsy, scrapped loincloth.

It turned at the sudden inclusion of three more victims, or so it had hoped. It had stopped a van of people, tourists who were taking a short cut through the small town to the next, bigger one. The people lay unconscious again.

The monster had its hands raised before they had arrived, and now it lowered, the strands of energy ridden threads disintegrating. It now turned, its black eyes looked out with renewed interest. It thought of these as highly energized creatures, if they could look like they did.

"I am of the planet of lore, Sailor Vulcan! In the heat of battles, I will smite you in your place!"

"I am of the planet of lore, Sailor Magellan! I will blind you by the rays of light and choke you with my vines!"

"I am of the planet of lore, Sailor Lilith! From the shadows comes the light of the Heavens to free you!"

It smirked and flung its hands out, the threads dancing out. They jumped haphazardly. Sailor Vulcan nearly squished her nose on Helius; Lilith skinned a knee, whimpering. Magellan just fell over backwards, having just been trying to bend over just enough to miss the strands.

All rolled away from the things that began to suck the energy from the various twigs, rocks, and garbage.

"Eww.." Magellan stood up. "What do you think you're doing?"

"If you wanted something to eat.." Lilith began.

"It's not hungry, Lilith," Helius said tartly. "It's looking for energy!"

"Why? It can have some protein."

"Don't argue with me, please. I get enough from these two, please..."

"I'm going to get you for that, Helius!" Vulcan dashed around as the monster aimed for her. "Vulcan Metallic Forge!"

She aimed and leaned toward the monster as the attack barreled out. Captured, it looked like it was all over.

Then it shredded the energy around it and sneered at Vulcan.

"I think we should be weakening the enemy," Helius's voice came from the background.

"You know, from this standpoint, your only goal IS to be a conscience," Magellan said dryly. "Magellan Photosynthesis!" Sunlight fell upon the enemy, the ground below shooting out dark green, heavily leaved vines, coiling around the enemy to wrap around it completely.

"Now! A finishing attack!" Helius called out.

Vulcan looked like she was about to say something.

"SHUT UP AND LEAVE ME ALONE! JUST ATTACK IT! FINISH IT!"

"Vulcan Metallic Forge!" The attack combined with Magellan's, turning the stone into dust.

"We did it!" Lilith grinned, feeling happily proud of her and the others.

"What about them?" Magellan asked, looking worriedly at the people.

"We can't do anything for them," Helius said gently.

"It's all right," Vulcan sounded relieved. "They're starting to wake up!"

"Let's go, girls!" Helius took off.

"I haven't seen him do anything BUT order us around," Lillian pointed out to Wendy who shrugged. Bonnie followed from behind, a few steps farther away.

She felt the air, rippling just for a moment. She remembered the shadows, the voice, and almost, just almost seemed to recollect something.

"You knew where to find the enemy," Wendy was stating to Bonnie. She blinked rapidly.

"Oh?"

"How?" Wendy asked curiously.

"The air.. it wasn't right. The feel of the sunlight, the wind, everything had a bad taste to me."

"Bad taste? Let's talk bad taste. Anyone noticed the fashions today?" Lillian rolled her eyes. "I'm the classy type but I wouldn't be caught dead in these outfits today."

"I bet you own them all," Wendy retorted.

"I do NOT!"

"Do too!"

"Do not!"

"Please, Bonnie. Don't be like them, arguing day in and out. I can't think straight because of them."

Bonnie knelt down, Helius nimbly jumping to her shoulder, relaxing there. "Thanks, I was getting sore feet."

"Running will heat you up pretty fast," Bonnie agreed.

"You guys didn't wait for me," he grumbled.

"Sure, let's just wait for the cat. One who DOESN'T REMEMBER a thing about us! Or even himself!"

"I remembered my name, didn't I?" He asked defensively.

The two girls snickered. Bonnie absently petted him comfortingly.

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No fear, no regrets. I made a promise to myself, for something yet to be learned. I was a part of something that I knew would be drastic. That would set a course in history. If I didn't fulfill this promise, of standing firm when I needed to be and doing what must be done, then that history would be shattered.

For all it was worth, time was a simple token. But the price for it was something that I hoped wouldn't be forgotten. For I would had liked to be remembered and known of, for others to understand that we were not of just lore, we were true sailor senshi.

If only for that short, hot summer.


End file.
